2. Linking Page

This makes it easy to look at the page where issues are currently occurring. So if your status is saying that a site is down, you can quickly visit the site and verify if it’s true.

3. Backlink

This column tells you the page on your site that the backlink is pointing to.

If the backlink is no longer effective, you now know which page needs to be targeted with a new backlink in order to counterbalance the loss.

4. Previous Status

This column gives you the old status of the backlink, which helps with determining the type of change that’s occurred and whether the change is positive or negative.

5. New Status

This tells you the current status of the backlink as of the date it was added to the backlink history log.

This is the most important column in the module as it tells you what steps (if any) you need to take in rectifying any issue that may occur as a result of the status change.

The key columns to focus on when looking at your backlink history are Previous Status and New Status.

It’s through these columns that you get a better understanding of what has happened to your backlinks and what needs to be done as a result.

What to Look for When Monitoring Your Backlink History

So what exactly are you looking for when studying your site’s Link Changes module?

In short, you’re looking for the types of changes that have occurred and whether those changes are positive or negative.

I’ve placed these changes into three main categories and have affectionately called them: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly.

(Note: The lists below do not cover every possible status change. However, using the lists below, you should be able to easily determine which category of change has occurred with status changes not included in this list.)

The Good

“Nofollow” to “Follow”

This means a backlink that was previously nofollow is now follow.

This is almost always good.

But keep in mind that spam backlinks can experience this status change as well (in which case it’s clearly not a good thing).

“Will Be Checked Soon” to “Follow”

This means that the backlink in question was previously unchecked by Monitor Backlinks (most likely due to it being a new backlink).

Now, it’s been checked and is categorized as a follow backlink.

“Backlink Not Found” to “Follow”

This is a situation where the backlink previously couldn’t be found by crawlers, but has been found and is now considered a follow link.

Any Other Status Change to “Follow”

Do you notice a trend here?

Any link that has a status change to “Follow” is a good thing.

But always remember to check to make sure the backlink isn’t spammy.

The Bad

“404 Not Found” to “Server Down”

This means that the server for the page that the backlink is on isn’t being found on the server side.

If this is a valuable follow backlink, you may want to reach out to the owner of the site (if you can find their contact info) and let them know about the situation.

Other than that, there’s nothing to do but hope for the best.

“521 Unknown” to “404 Not Found”

This means that the page was currently unknown but is now not found. Nine times out of 10 this means that the page is no longer available—taken down for some reason.

Again, you can reach out to the site owners or leave it be.

“Will Be Checked Soon” to “Nofollow”

This means that the page has been checked and the backlink has been marked as nofollow.

It’s ultimately up to the site owner which links are labeled follow or nofollow. But if you know the link was supposed to be follow, you’ll want to reach out to the site owner and let them know about it.

Mistakes do occur, and there could’ve been an accidental “nofollow” tag placed in the link code.

“Follow” to “500 Internal Server Error”

This means that your followed link is currently not being counted because the crawlers can’t find the page due to server issues.

These errors most often correct themselves after a few days.

But if the status hasn’t changed since the previous update, you’ll want to reach out to the site owner and let them know about the issue.

The Ugly

“Follow” to “Nofollow”

This means the link was previously follow but is now nofollow.

You’ll almost always want to reach out to the site owner in this case and inquire as to what caused this change to occur.

If you can, work with the site owner to rectify the issue and change the status back to follow.

“Follow” to “Server Down”

This means the server is currently down.

Again, this is often a temporary issue and will correct itself. But keep track of the status and reach out to the site owner if it’s not fixed by the next status update.

“Follow” to “404 Not Found”

This most often means the page has been taken down.

In many cases, you can reach out to the site owner and they’ll place the link on a new page. Or they may have created a new page with updated information and will include your link in it also.

In this situation, you’ll always want to reach out to the site owner.

Backlink History Wrap-up

Now you have a solid grasp on how often backlink statuses can change and how important it is to monitor your backlinks’ history.

Written By

Ty is the founder and owner of TyWrites.com. He specializes in B2B blog writing, content marketing, and SEO. When he's not helping B2B businesses engage their site visitors, you can find him reading, playing roguelikes, and building Lego towers on the floor with his son.